Disguised men attack IDP’s camp, beat police, aged victims

Disguised hoodlums in their hundreds launched an attack on the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP's) of the recent flood disaster, who were taking refuge at the Abagana-Agan camp along Makurdi-Lafia road, carting away 200 bags of rice and other relief materials.
The hoodlums, who disguised themselves also as members of the IDP's, forcefully gained access into the camp and allegedly overpowered some policemen deployed to protect the victims.
They headed straight to the warehouse where relief materials were kept and broke down the store door, using stones and sticks.
The gangsters, who were between ages of 14 to 35, claimed to be inhabitants of the host community where the camp is situated and  that they were denied being part of the items meant for victims of the disaster.
A chivalrous police sergeant, name withheld, who despite the wicked activities of the youths moved in to intercede, had his uniform torn. The youths also attempted to snatch his rifle.
Our correspondent, who visited the camp alongside other officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) observed that most of the doors to the stores housing relief materials had been damaged.
Some adhoc staff recruited by the SEMA to help in the distribution of relief materials said that, "everyday, the youths mobilise and attack them while closing from work and they snatch a handbag belonging to one of us with money, make-ups and a mobile handset."
One of the workers said: "Whenever the hoodlums attack, because of limited security men on ground, they overwhelmed them. We, the staff, had no option than to lock ourselves inside the stores. But they still broke in, tortured us and carted away 200 bags of rice.
"They also accosted the aged IDP's and snatched items that were shared to them in the morning. If you enter the stores, you’ll see that as they were scrambling over bags of rice, some got torn and littered the floor."
It took the Executive Secretary of SEMA, Mr. Boniface Ortese, who arrived the scene to calm frayed nerves and security operatives.
Ortese, who condemned the attack, said the main camp at the Makurdi Ultra-Modern International Market was also invaded and had become a beehive of political activities. He added that aged men and women were not spared as they also tested bitter pills of the activities of the invaders with their belongings forcibly snatched from them.
Ortese, who declared the two camps closed as a result of such acts, explained that the committee on the flood disaster chaired by the state Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abounu would embark on thorough assessment of individual homes to verify their claims of damage and give them more relief materials.
He added: "As I speak with you, we have about 500 children in the camp who go to schools, but their parents are not ready for them to go back to school because of relief materials. We are worried that the camps have been filled up with people not directly affected. We believe some politicians are pushing these hoodlums to carry out these acts because 80 percent of the IDP's at the Agan camp are not real victims."